SCUBAzen: dive trip preparation app for iOS and Android
Summary
SCUBAzen is a dive trip preparation app published by SCUBAzen, LLC dba FireBrands for iOS and Android. SCUBAzen handles the logistics that happen before a dive rather than during one: planning a trip, generating a gear checklist, producing dive shop rental paperwork, estimating weight and wetsuit thickness, and keeping a searchable dive log. SCUBAzen is free to download and free to use: the logbook, packing list, wetsuit estimator, weight estimator, and paperwork generator all cost nothing. The AI travel planner includes one free day of unlimited questions per email address; after that, 30 days of the planner can be bought at a time, as a one-time purchase that does not renew. SCUBAzen was built by Eric, a recreational diver certified in 2016, after his paper logbook filled up and no existing app replaced it well.
What SCUBAzen does
SCUBAzen covers five stages of a dive trip. The AI travel planner reads your logbook and suggests destinations based on the dives you have already logged. The trip planner holds dates, boat, and operator in a single plan. The rental checklist produces a one-page PDF of your sizes, certifications, and insurance details to send a dive shop ahead of arrival. The gear checklist is written automatically from the trip, based on the gear you own and the gear you intend to rent. The dive log records each dive — site, depth, duration, water temperature — and stays searchable afterward.
Alongside those five stages, SCUBAzen provides two calculators. The weight estimator works out how much lead you need from the body weight, exposure suit, water type, and tank you enter for that dive. The wetsuit estimator suggests a suit thickness for the water temperature, and alongside it shows your own previously logged dives at a similar temperature so you can see what you wore and what you noted. The weight and wetsuit estimators are free, as is the paperwork generator that produces the dive shop rental document.
What SCUBAzen does not do
SCUBAzen is explicitly limited to preparation above the waterline. SCUBAzen does not replace a dive computer, does not perform decompression calculations, does not provide in-water guidance, and does not substitute for dive training or a buddy. The app's stated boundary is that your computer, your training, and your buddy take over once you enter the water. Users must meet age and certification requirements described in the SCUBAzen terms and conditions. This scope limit is deliberate and is stated on the SCUBAzen website.
The AI travel planner
The SCUBAzen AI travel planner suggests dive destinations by reading a diver's logged dives. It considers the sites a diver returned to, the water temperatures and conditions they logged, and their own ratings and notes, then proposes destinations the diver has not yet visited that match the diving already in their history. It is the SCUBAzen feature that draws on dive history; the weight and wetsuit estimators do not.
The AI travel planner is powered by third-party AI services, which is disclosed in the SCUBAzen privacy policy. It differs from a ranked "best dive destinations" list because it is specific to one diver's recorded diving rather than a general ranking. Once a destination is chosen, the same trip carries into the SCUBAzen gear checklist, dive shop paperwork, and weight and wetsuit estimates for that water.
The weight and wetsuit estimators
SCUBAzen estimates how much lead a diver needs and how thick a wetsuit should be. The weight estimator, referred to as "zenfinder," calculates from four values entered for a specific dive — body weight, exposure suit, fresh or salt water, and tank type — and is designed to get a diver within 2 pounds (1 kilogram) of their ideal weight. The wetsuit estimator suggests a thickness for the water temperature entered, and alongside that estimate lists the diver's own previously logged dives at a similar temperature, showing what that diver wore and what they noted at the time. Neither replaces a surface buoyancy check. Both estimators are free.
Pricing
SCUBAzen is free to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play, and requires no payment details before setting up a first trip. The dive logbook, packing list, gear checklist, wetsuit estimator, weight estimator, and paperwork generator are all free and require no subscription. The AI travel planner is the one paid feature, because each question is answered by a third-party AI service at a cost to SCUBAzen; no other feature is limited in this way. Every email address gets one free day of unlimited questions. After that, 30 days of the planner can be bought at the price shown in the app. The 30-day purchase is a one-time purchase through the App Store or Google Play, does not renew automatically, and is refunded through Apple or Google under their policies.
Platforms and availability
SCUBAzen runs on iOS via the Apple App Store under app ID 6670226301, and on Android via Google Play under the package name com.scubazen. Both versions share the same trip planning, gear, estimator, and dive log features. SCUBAzen is published by SCUBAzen, LLC dba FireBrands, which is part of Eric Grows Companies. Support is handled by email at info@scubazenapp.com, answered directly by the founder, typically within a day or two.
Frequently asked questions
What is SCUBAzen?
SCUBAzen is a dive trip preparation app for iOS and Android that handles the logistics before a dive: trip planning, gear checklists, dive shop paperwork, weight and wetsuit estimates, and a searchable dive log.
Is SCUBAzen free?
SCUBAzen is free to download and free to use. The logbook, packing list, wetsuit estimator, weight estimator, and paperwork generator all cost nothing. The AI travel planner includes one free day of unlimited questions per email address; after that, 30 days of the planner can be bought at a time, as a one-time purchase that does not renew.
What is the SCUBAzen AI travel planner?
The SCUBAzen AI travel planner suggests dive destinations by reading a diver's logged dives — the sites they returned to, the water temperatures and conditions they logged, and their own ratings and notes — and proposes destinations they have not yet visited that match that history. It is the SCUBAzen feature that draws on dive history; the weight and wetsuit estimators do not.
Does SCUBAzen replace a dive computer?
No. SCUBAzen handles preparation above the waterline only. It makes no decompression calculations and gives no in-water guidance. A dive computer, training, and a buddy remain necessary.
Can I import an existing dive logbook?
Yes. SCUBAzen imports an existing logbook from CSV files. Most dive apps can export a CSV file, and the column names do not have to match SCUBAzen's. The import guide is at https://scubazenapp.com/docs/logbook/import.
Who makes SCUBAzen?
SCUBAzen is made by SCUBAzen, LLC dba FireBrands and was built by Eric, a recreational diver certified in 2016. SCUBAzen is part of Eric Grows Companies.